Assement 1 (1000 words):Discusss the key dimensions of national culture in your domicile (home) country using the frameworks of Hofstede (2001) including: Power Distance; Uncertainty avoidance; Individualism/ Collectivism; Masculinity/ femininity; long term orientation.

IntroductionIn the “flat” world today, opening a business on abroad will be easier than before (Friedman, 2005). The manager from other countries will need to face with other culture aspect that they never met before. In order to solve this problem, Hofstede’s dimensions (1970) suggested that his model with 5 dimensions: Power Distance, Uncertain Avoidance Individualism/ collectivism, Masculinity/ femininity, Long-term orientation, which refer to any culture on the globe, and Vietnam in this case. For this essay requirement, the Power Distance and Long-term Orientation will be discussed in this essay, how it is effective on this constructed in international business management as well as the disadvantage of Hofstede’s module. Hofstede’s module suggests that national culture can be influence behaviour and management in workplace. His research suggested that differences of behaviour are accounted for nationality and national culture determinants. In addition, understanding the cultural differences could be done by drawing on these dimensions. Hofstede stated that there are many national differences in work-related values, beliefs, norms and self-descriptions and societal variables, could be explained in five key dimensions of national culture.

Power DistancePower distance score of Vietnam was given a high value of 70 by Hofstede’s study(2013) as mesuased by the scores in his 1970s IBM internal cultural test system, in which describe power distance as dealing with the need of a society for independence versus interdependence. In other research which is carried out by McCleland suggests that the need for power is to have influences over others and tend to be gained more privilege than other. Additionally, Individuals with high power distance will tend to achieve target or choose a job which responsibility, feedback and a medium percentage of risk. Hofstede (1984) also suggested that in a high power distance score, Vietnam in this case, he/she is more likely to accept unequal distributions of power. It could be take away power, control mechanism or decision making, but they will easy accept this situation in higher power distance rather than lower one. However, economic system and environment are needed to take in to account as others factors which might have strongly influence power distance. In a research is carried out by Hoang (2008),a researcher from Capabella, USA, within 20 managers who are Vietnamese gave us a differences result. The research was pointed out that the managers get lower score in Power Distance, who tend be cooperate with the lower staff rather than made their decision on their own.

Long-term Orientation.In Vietnamese culture, modest is highly evaluated (Te, H.D., 1987; Cao, X.H., 1999). In another hand, Hofstede also claimed that Vietnam got a high score on Long-term Orientation, which was influenced by Confucius, who emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. Thus, society shows a pragmatic future-oriented perspective rather than a conventional historical short-term point of view ( Hofstede, 2001).It means that the Longterm Orientation is a result to develop this high score of Power Distance in Vietnam. In Hofstede website, he also claimed that Vietnam score is 80, that making it is long-term orientation. In different words, Vietnam, is a country, who believed in pragmatism, where achieving goal a task and getting virtue is prioritized. As a result, the manager can aware that the employees push their adaption up to limit if it is the requirement of the job and sometimes, working for money mind not top goal for the bread-maker. Respect from employers,...

YOU MAY ALSO FIND THESE DOCUMENTS HELPFUL

...Vietnam is a country which is not only famous for its hospitality but also its deep culture heritage. Having been developed over 4000 years, the culture is characteristic with many dimensions and values. In both the material and spiritual life, Vietnamese have shown their specialty culture through many aspects. Based on Hostede’s point of view ( 1980), the Vietnamese can be described as moderate uncertainty avoidance, high context, especially high power distance and high collectivism. They are typical aspects in Vietnameseculture that are grasped through diverse illustration in folk literature and noble values.
First of all, Vietnam is considered a fairly collectivist culture which generally means the high appreciation of community. Everyone in the community tends to work together. And they would rather think of themselves as a whole than separate in individuals. Because of their Confucian roots, Vietnameseculture is strongly orientated around family and community. Family comes before oneself. Therefore, they value the collective whole rather than the individual.
Ngựa chạy có bầy, chim bay có bạn | A life without a friend is a life without sun |
This dimension results in the value of unity. People get strength from the whole cooperation of members in society . Each one has contributed his/her duty in building up the...

...
A LIFE SITUATION
Peter has been HR Manager for 18years and vice president for 2 more years for Zyedego Corporation, a small company in New Orleans.
ISSUES
After hurricane Katrina employees had been working round the clock to get the company up and running
The company has been calling former employees to rehire them
Gwyn the current manger is planning to rehire Dana Gonzales but she’s pregnant. He is concerned for her safety coz of the rough condition of the workplace. Incase Dana is rehired Gwyn feels that her wages should be reduced by 25% - coz the entire group has exceeded their budget.
But Dana says that if she’s not rehired she’ll go to a competitor and the company should pay her severance of 2 weeks wages
Gwyn is also concerned that Dana may not be a full US citizen coz her documents appeated to be fake. The flood destroyed the original documents and although Gwyn has requested new ones Dana has been slow to provide them.
Hiring of track drivers
The company hires track drivers and routinely request for driving records as part of the pre employment process. Several have DWI (Driving under the Influence) records though all of them happened 5 years ago.
Gwyn has been hiring drivers with infractions including DWI to serve the number of drivers needed.
She wonders whether she is creating a potential risk for the company if any of them is involved in an accident that relates to a potential violation
Peter feels Gwyn needs guidance with hiring practices
Peter...

...
Informative speech.
Speech 1311
The Vietnameseculture, is a rich heritage on many different levels, one of the best ways to view Vietnameseculture is to look at the system of yin and yang. On one side you have the yang the more male side that has more of a fondness towards hierarchy where the father or the eldest male is the leader of the family with conventional rules to follow depending on their social roles. On the other hand you have the yin moving towards human equality, female contribution, and more of an emphasis on feelings. Yin and yang are the basis for Vietnamese family life and even government policy.
Geoffrey Murray the author of Customs and Etiquette of Vietnam wrote in his book that the Vietnamese do not shake hands but clasp their hands together above waist level and bow slightly as a sign of acknowledgement. It is said that the Vietnamese value system is based on four basic tenets, which is their allegiance to their family, yearning for a good name, love of learning, and respect for other people.
Vietnam is a country with many etiquette and customs and one should know the basic etiquette and customs before going for a visit. One of their oldest etiquettes are that woman would not sit next to a man unless he was her husband because of respect but this is not widely practiced anymore but it is important information to keep in mind. Younger...

...Self-awareness is an initial step to understand the variations of cultures. It could help an individual to realize the essentials of his or her own culture that are usually neglected in daily life. In this essay, I would like to explore the Vietnameseculture under my own reflection and express my opinions about cultural variation discussion in international environments.
At first, there is a variety of important factors that influenced Vietnameseculture but family is the most important point. In fact, a typical Viet family includes grandparents, parents and children living together under a same roof. The number of children in family is often high due to the old concept that more child more laborer. It could be easy to understand because Vietnam is an agricultural civilization based on the cultivation of wet rice. Although this situation is changing in urban areas, it still exists in rural regions where farming takes the primary role in people's income. Vietnamese people also have a close relationship with their relatives. They are frequently living in a same village or commune in order to support each other. Moreover, they try to have a good relationship with their neighbors because of an old saying “Sell far relatives and buy close neighbors”. In a typical Viet family, children are taught to be well-behaved and respectful towards their parents, grandparents and relatives....

...According to the New York Times research conducted in 2012, population of older Americans is growing faster than ever. However, there is no doubt that these American senior citizens are facing some issues as one angry American blogger has stated: “Remember what culture you're in! Our society doesn't value older, wiser, or more experienced people”. That statement may sound a little dramatic but is it true that American elderly is not well treated? In this paper, I aim to discuss about the American and Vietnamese society’s treatment of elderly. Moreover, I also suggest some explanations for the differences between the ways two cultures treat its old people.
First of all, the strength of the America is: living condition. The developed economy and technology have brought many benefits to the elderly. Old American people live quite comfortably; they don’t have to worry much about their living condition. The median net worth of households headed by elderly is $280.000 in compare to the $126,400 of average American family net worth. According to the survey conducted in 2009, nine-in-ten elderly have their own home or apartment. In another survey, 42.3 million of 42.3 million Americans age 65 and older say that it's easy for them to cover their monthly living expenses. It’s clear that old Americans are able to support themselves without depending on anyone. However, even if they cannot take care of themselves, the old American people...

...For this paper I will examine Vietnameseculture according to the five essential questions all cultures must answer (according to Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck). I will then take those answers and compare then to out culture here in America. I realize that some might argue that using North American culture as a starting point is an attempt to simplify this writing, but I believe that any initial examination of something new is most effectively done in comparison to what one already knows.
The first essential question Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck ask is “how do they view human nature?” (Obilade 2008).
The predominant view of human nature in Vietnam is deeply rooted in Buddhist thought. Buddhism teaches that humans are born to suffer through successive lives, that such misery is the direct result of hedonistic pursuits, and that true peace cannot be achieved without being released from the bondage one places himself or herself in by following said pursuits. To break this down then, it can be said that Vietnameseculture believes that there is great potential within all humans for good. The problem however, is that all humans are born with an intense drive to satisfy the desires of the senses
(Wubker 2008).
To be sure, American culture is comprised of a multitude of religious thought, but it I believe it reasonable to say Christianity is still the most...

...country, the Vietnamese does not have a social security number.) The naming system of the Vietnamese is different from that of Americans and most other Asian peoples.
What's your Name? A Study in Cultural Differences
What's your last name? This simple question, so easy for most foreigners who speak some English, for the Vietnamese, even those who speak English fluently, is a question to which a right answer is difficult to give. The difficulty does not lie in the meaning of the term name but in the use of name that is different in American and Vietnamese societies. American people who are familiar with Vietnamese habits and customs epitomize the difference in the following statement: "They put the names in the wrong order, the last name written first and the first name last." This, however, is not the whole story. The best way to bring out the difference is, perhaps, to describe how names are used in Vietnamese society.
A Vietnamese name for example NguyÍn Væn Hai, usually consists of three parts occurring in the following order: family name (NguyÍn), middle name (Væn), and given name (Hai). Some people do not have, or omit, middle names. Others have two-part given names, written as two words, that results in the appearance of four component parts.
Generally speaking, a Vietnamese family name does not have any meaning, at least its meaning is no longer...

...VietnameseCulture and High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is one of the most serious health conditions worldwide. Often times, people have high blood pressure for months or even years without knowing it. Knowledge is very important when it comes to health. High blood pressure can lead to other lethal conditions such as, “coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems.” ("What is high," 2011) There are many ways that you can avoid high blood pressure.
One of the main values that the Vietnameseculture holds high is physical health. Not only is physical health an important value of the Vietnameseculture, but it is a significant key in avoiding high blood pressure. Growing up, my dad always put emphasis on physical health. He made sure that my diet consisted of healthy foods. Once in a while, my dad would let me get a fast food burger, but that was really rare. Not only did my dad make sure my diet was healthy, he also made sure I exercised daily. My dad made me run on the track at the middle school by my house. As I got older, he encouraged me to participate in sports and other activities. Exercising daily would make the heart stronger; therefore “the force on your artery walls decrease.” ("What is high," 2011) Not only does exercise reduce the chances of getting high blood pressure, but it is also a very good way of releasing stress....